Monday, November 21, 2016

This children's song (first recorded in 1956) was often played on the radio in England when I was a boy.

It has absolutely nothing to do with sailing, except that a sailor friend drew my attention to it. Nellie the Elephant is suddenly topical again because of its chorus line, "Trump, Trump, Trump."

That's all that seems to be on the news these days.

Trump, Trump, Trump.

"Klu Klux Klan plans parade for Trump."

"Trump may force all Muslims in the USA to be registered."

"Trump settles fraud case for $25 million."

Trump, Trump, Trump.

Can't we get back to the important stuff we used to talk about before the election like whether Caitlyn Jenner regrets not being Bruce Jenner any more, and why Tom Brady likes his balls soft?

On second thoughts... maybe not. I am really not all that interested in Tom Brady's balls.

The only bright spot in the news is that British sailor Ben Ainslie has led his team to victory over the Australian sailor Jimmy Spithill in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Superbowl Cup Final (or whatever it is called) which has been held in various locations around the world over the last decade or so. (Well at least it seems like it.)

Some sailors, a couple of cars and a pontoon boat.

Sadly this does NOT mean that the America's Cup will be returning to its rightful home in England. But apparently it does mean that Sir Ben and his team will have a two point advantage in the double secret round robin Louis Vuitton America’s Cup
Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs Elimination Round (or whatever it is called) which will be sailed over about 40 weeks next summer.

After Sir Ben has won the LVACQACPER (or whatever it is called) he will finally be allowed to give Jimmy Spithill and his Australian team another good drubbing in the actual America's Cup. And THEN the America's Cup will go back to England.

I think I got that right.

Too bad there isn't an American team in the America's Cup any more.

A waste of some perfectly good champagne

So before you go back to the real news and the steady diet of Trump, Trump, Trump here is a quiz for you.

Without googling it, what does Nellie the Elephant have to do with this song?

This news just in. Rumor has it that President Trump is considering adopting Nellie the Elephant as the theme song of his Inauguration.

I find it hard to take the America's Cup seriously any more too. Most teams are just full of mercenaries who have no real connection with the countries they are supposed to be representing. So it would be nice if Britain won it just to put all those Aussies and Kiwis on the other teams in their places.

I believe the Toy Dolls are still playing? Perhaps Trump will hire them for the inauguration. Mandy Miller was strictly a child actress and made her last movie in 1958. But she is still alive and living in retirement in England as far as I know if Trump prefers her version!

Ben rocks but here in the UK we are restricted to occasional highlights of the event at obscure times on an obscure part of BT that no one I know can find. A far cry from when Ben won the cup for them Americans - 1/2 the country appeared to be following the cup despite no understanding of the sport, the competiton or the machines - gripping stuff.This time I fear it will be as baffling to a uk audience as the election of Trump remains however I suspect that we will hear less about it!

In theory yes. Just like the America's Cup was held by America for many years but I don't think it spent much time in North Dakota or Hawaii. Didn't NYYC have it bolted down in their Manhattan clubhouse? I think Ben's challenge is on behalf of the Royal Yacht Squadron so I suspect the Cup will probably live in Cowes which is kinda sorta part of England, isn't it?

Most of us feel that the RYS is rather quaint but aren't sure that it really exists and is not just a set from some Bertie Wooster film. Many will agree that the I.O.W. Is only loosely associated with the UK or England.

I too had not being paying much attention to the AC so far but found this explanatory summary of next years event very useful for cutting through the complexities of the scoring;http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/193345/What-next-on-the-road-to-Bermuda

and here is an interesting update of the 'state of play' at BAR;http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/193358/The-State-of-Play---Ben-Ainslie

I am sure it is going to be great spectating. More teams and likely closer racing, with little to base an advance form book on.

Peter - thanks for the links on the America's Cup scoring and BAR. The scoring complexities of this America's Cup sound almost as bizarre as the American electoral system which I have never understood either.

Of course the next stages are as much a design competition as a sailing competition but I have faith that the British team will prevail this time against Oracle Team AUS and Emirates Team UAE.

And Buffalo Canoe Club is a sailing club, not a canoe club, and it is not in Buffalo NY. In fact it's not in in NY state at all - not even in the same country as Buffalo NY. It's over the border in Canada.

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